


chapter 3: the connection

by rogueonestan



Series: When Our Paths Cross [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/M, Partners in Crime, Partners to Lovers, Self-Reflection, business partners to lovers au, is that a thing? idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:46:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29579085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rogueonestan/pseuds/rogueonestan
Summary: after making life more peaceful for the residents on Arvala-7, you and the Mandalorian begin to make your trip back to the Crest when guests interrupt your travels.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Original Female Character(s), Din Djarin/Reader, Din Djarin/You, Grogu | Baby Yoda & Reader, the mandalorian/ reader
Series: When Our Paths Cross [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138634
Kudos: 7





	chapter 3: the connection

You never thought you could ever be this exhausted after a hunt, and you haven’t even made it back to the  _ Crest  _ yet. 

After you and Mando were able to successfully disband the mini-city of mercenaries, you began making your way back to the  _ Crest _ with the asset by your sides when you were suddenly ambushed by three Trandoshans, the same ones you felt staring at you back at the cantina on Nevarro.

As you and Mando turned to walk down yet another lengthy pathway, something felt  _ off.  _ You kept looking over your shoulder, again and again, to see if you could spot anything out of the ordinary, but the only thing that caught your eye was a few small reptile creatures that would come out of their hiding spots once your figure got further away from them. Everything seemed fine but you should’ve known better than the trouble on this trip wouldn’t have ended once you left the mini-city. 

The words ‘ _ I got a bad feeling about this’  _ were on the tip of your tongue, but before you were able to open your mouth to say them, one of the Trandoshans suddenly appears right in front of you and knocks you down to the ground with a harsh shove. When your body collides to the floor, your head hits on the edge of a nearby at a weird angle. Luckily the area between the base of your neck and your head is the area that hits the rock, so the injury isn’t as fatal as it could’ve been, a wave of pain flutters throughout your body. The pain is so intense, however, that you are unable to aid your partner in combat. Luckily, after a few minutes of resting, you were able to get back on your feet and continue the journey back to the ship, all thanks to your partner. 

As the two of you continue your walk, you’re grateful for the silence that falls between you. 

You’re not even sure if you would even be able to make conversation at this point because of the aching pain that’s in your head. You don’t dare to mention anything to your partner because all you want to do right now is to sleep in your quarters. 

The throbbing pain in your head eventually begins to subdue over time. Before, all you could focus on is the pain and just muscle through it, but now, you’re finally able to focus on your surroundings and admire them. For example, you’re able to see the occasional fauna scurry off to the side as you and Mando pass by them. The sight of the creatures, even if it’s for a few seconds, puts a smile on your face because Arvala-7 doesn’t have much to offer. Besides the cliffs that linger on the upper levels and the rocks and fauna that reside where you currently are, there isn’t much to see. 

You don’t notice how late it’s getting until your partner mentions something. 

“We should make camp soon.” He suggests as he looks over in your direction. 

“Yeah,” you say as you take notice of the now night sky.

The bright oranges that complimented the sunshine is now replaced with a dark, gloomy purple sky. Speckles of stars also glitter up the sky, acting as a natural light source to help guide you. 

“We should also check on the little one to make sure he’s okay.” You propose as your partner nods his head in agreement as you continue with your travels. 

It’s not long after that you find a suitable spot to make camp for the night. The area that you decided to rest at is an open area where the only options to rest are on a slab of rock or on top of the dirt. It’s not ideal but you have no other choice. 

You join your partner’s side and lean up against a large slab of rock- it’s uncomfortable but it’s better than sleeping on the cold floor. Taking off the strap of the bag that you take everywhere with you, you begin to settle in for the night. You’re about to close your eyes and try to get some sleep, but you hear a series of grunts to your right. Once you find the source of the noise, you find your partner is using some sort of heat pen to try to mend his wound, the same item that you’ve seen him use to make small repairs on the  _ Crest.  _ Just glancing at the wound he’s trying to mend, you can’t imagine how much pain he’s currently in as he tries to heal it with the tool in his hand. 

Before you’re able to do anything about it, another sound to your right catches your attention. You find the green little baby has made his way out of his pram and is slowly walking towards the Mandalorian. As he gets closer to Mando, one of his arms reaches out as his eyes squint shut in concentration. A faint humming sound reaches your ears and the sound only intensifies as the little one gets closer to the injured man.

A soft groan leaves the baby’s lips as he uses all of his strength to reach out in front of him, but Mando, oblivious to the baby’s true intentions, scoops the baby up in his arms and places him back in the pram where he belongs. 

After seeing what you just witnessed, you feel even more curious about the baby than ever. 

Upon meeting the little one, you’re not sure what was about him, but something seemed different about him like something was pulling you towards him when you first entered that room. You haven’t felt an immediate connection to anyone like this since the rise of the Empire. There’s just something different about him that entices you. You can’t exactly pinpoint it, but the slight humming that you can feel in the air around you isn’t something you experienced since you were younger, since you first began your journey. 

Thoughts about the baby, where he’s from, how he got to be in an abandoned building in the first place, roam your mind.  _ How long has the Empire been looking for him?  _ But the thoughts stop when you hear the grunts to your right continue and become louder than they were before. 

“What the hell are you doing?” You ask as you immediately sit up and look at your partner with a horrified look on your face.

Mando doesn’t say anything at first, mainly gesturing at his wound on the bicep, “healing.”

“Why don’t you use some bactaspray?”

“It’s not that bad-“ 

You scoff at him as you rummage through your bag, “give me your arm.” You say with a slightly assertive tone as you kneel in front of him. Mando doesn’t budge, his visor only continuing to look at you, “please?” You plead this time. 

Letting out a deep sigh, he relents, as he gives you permission to help him by moving his body towards you. Lightly placing a hand on his elbow, you lean towards Mando and before you apply the medication to his wound, you look up in his visor and give him a warning, asking, “ready?” With his approval, you begin spraying the affected area. Upon immediate contact, Mando lets out a muffled groan of pain. A mumbled ‘sorry’ escapes from your lips as you look away from his wound to see his reaction. His visor doesn’t help you whatsoever, but you can tell the medication is already taking effect by his body language. The rapid rise and fall of his chest from before is now replaced with his chest taking in deep breaths. As you glance down at the affected area, what catches your eye isn’t the traces of blood that remain, but the tan skin that now peeks through the tear of his tunic. 

Lightly squeezing his elbow, you let go of your grip on him but not before your hand now lingers above his exposed skin. 

Your fingers ghost a few inches above his exposed skin, but before you make skin-to-skin contact, you quickly remove your hand and have it lay on top of your thigh. A deep sigh leaves your lips when you get up from your kneeled position, trying your best to get as comfortable as you possibly can when you lay against the slab of rock, “just ask next time.” You comment with your eyes closed.

The moment you close your eyes, though, you suddenly hear a loud noise coming from your right. Craning your neck as far as you possibly can, another sigh leaves your lips as you find Mando remending his cuirass with the same tool that he was trying to heal his wound earlier. Instead of bothering your partner for a second time, you try your best to at least get some rest. 

But before you’re able to, you vaguely hear your partner saying something. Reopening your eyes, the first thing you see are big, brown owl-like eyes. You move to scoop him up in your arms so you can try to get some rest, but as soon as his hand touches your arm, a series of memories from your past begin flooding your mind. 

The first memory that runs through your mind is one from when you were younger.

_ With your hands clasped, you run down the halls alongside your best friend. After finishing your training for the day, you and your best friend decided to let loose and roam free of the premises. Giggles are exchanged between the two of you when you accidentally collide with one of the older individuals of the facility. The older gentleman that you knocked into scolds you, telling you that you need to slow down, but your friend only pulls on your arm so can you continue to race down the halls. You mutter out a ‘sorry’ as your friend continues to tug on your arm.  _

_ As you continue to weave up and down multiple hallways, you turn your head to glance at your best friend, only to find that a huge smile is on their face as laughter escapes from their lips. _

_ “Where are we even going?” You ask. _

_ “It’s a surprise.” Shaking your head, you laugh alongside them.  _

_ You’ve never felt this free before.  _

The second memory that flashes through your mind is one that you’ve tried so hard to forget.

_ Running in the mud alongside one of the many swamps that could be found on Saleucami, adrenaline fills your body as you try to run as fast as you possibly can. A cloud of tears blocks your vision as you try to recollect everything that happened within the past hour. _

_ Everything went normal as always then something changed. You’re not sure when, or why, but one moment you were waiting for your mentor to return from a quick patrol when your allies by your side suddenly turned on you.  _

_ While you were waiting, a dark cloud took control of the minds of your allies- thoughts of hatred entering their minds as they aimed their weapons at you. Luckily for you, you were able to escape their attack with minimal injuries, but fear still lingers in your system as you run as far and as fast as you can.  _

_ With your weapon in your hand, you try your best to focus on the task at hand. You need to find some way off of this planet.  _

_ “Where is she?” You can hear a voice ask from a distance.  _

_ “She couldn’t have gone that far. Take a speeder and scan the area.” Another voice says.  _

_ You can hear the sound of a speeder’s engine warming up as they quickly drive away.  _

_ Upon hearing this, you quickly make your way in the opposite direction- a small attempt of avoiding another fight and being spotted. _

_ Hiding behind a rather large tree, you’re finally able to catch your breath. You’re not sure of how long you’ve been running but you know this fight is far from over.  _

_ Now, you need to find some way off of this planet before it’s too late. Maybe there’s some sort of settlement that you can rest at for a short while. _

The next memory that flashed through your mind was even darker than the previous. 

_ After all of the years of surviving from the Empire, you’ve been able to  _ _ know _ _ when something’s off. You felt it when your allies suddenly turned on you on that fatal day and you could feel it now. Taking your weapon from your side, you prepare yourself for the upcoming fight that you can sense.  _

_ “I see nothing has changed.”  _

_ The blood flowing through your veins suddenly turns cold upon hearing this voice. The voice that once brought you warmth and joy when you were younger now only brings fear in you where you stand now. The friend that you thought you had when you were younger has been gone for a long time and is now replaced with someone you don’t recognize. The lightness of your friend’s voice is now replaced with one that’s only filled with hate- a coldness you wish you never saw.  _

_ “I wish I could say the same.” You say with a shaky breath as you turn around. You try to keep your emotions together, something you were taught to do along your friend’s side many years ago. _

_ “You were always so quick to fight- never waiting. I wonder what your precious Rebel friends would think of you if they knew the truth. How much you’ve fallen.” They spat at you.  _

_ You say nothing in response as tears now run down your face. Even though your mind tells you that everything you’ve done up to this point has been for the greater good- some of your actions go directly against what you were taught as a child, but you did it to  _ _ survive. _ __

_ “What would they think of you? What would they call you?” _

_ “A survivor.” The words come out as a whisper, more of you reminding yourself-justifying the actions of your past.  _

The final memory that goes through your head is one that’s not as dark as the others- one that you remember distinctly before everything changed for the worst. 

_ Sitting crisscrossed on your bed with your eyes closed, you try to focus on the fresh air that enters your lungs. After being assigned a simple patrolling mission of a deserted planet, you wanted to clear your head before you met up with your mentor to leave. Your palms rest against your knees comfortably as you continue with the breathing exercises you’ve been taught. Taking in a deep breath, you’re brought out of your trance by the sound of gentle knocks on your door. _

_ “Come in.” You say as you reopen your eyes. Seeing that it’s your mentor, you immediately uncross your legs, beginning to get up when the woman in front of you holds a hand out, silently telling you to stop. _

_ “My young one,” she begins, “I have a gift for you before we embark on our journey.” With the calm tone you’ve familiarized yourself since you met her merely a year ago, “It is a tradition for a young one, such as yourself, to be given a gift by their mentor at around your age, so I wanted to give you yours before we left.” The gentle tone of her voice removes any anxiety you were feeling before you left for the mission. You can’t help but feel at ease with her by your side.  _

_ With both of her arms stretched out, a simple black box rests in her hands. As you take the box from her hands, she continues, “my own mentor gave this to me and I believe it’s the right thing for me to do the same.”  _

_ When you open the box, a simple crystal rests inside. Taking the crystal in your hand, you lift it in the air as the sunlight reflects off of it. Shadows of the reflection bounce off of your bedroom walls as you admire the gift.  _

_ “A crystal?” You inquire with your head tilting, “but I-“ _

_ “This one’s special.” She insists, “this one is unlike any other one you will have seen before- you will need to connect with it. Only then, will you understand.” With that, she leaves the room, quietly shutting the door behind her.  _

_ Lifting the crystal into the air again, seeing how the sunlight reflects off of it, you quickly place it in your pocket, not knowing the importance it would bring you in the future.  _

  
  


A sharp exhale leaves your lips as memories from your past no longer plague your mind. Your breathing only continues to get heavier as you try to take in everything that you just experienced. 

Thought after thought enters your brain as you try to comprehend what just happened,  _ how  _ it happened. You can now feel the necklace that’s been resting against your chest is now being pulled by an unseen force. To your right, you find the mysterious baby is somehow pulling at the crystal that’s resting on your chest.

Once again, you can hear a slight humming in the air as the baby is in close proximity to you. It’s like a slight breeze against grass- faint but still there. 

Grabbing the piece of jewelry in your hand, the little hand that was once held out in front of you is now resting against the baby’s side. 

You get up from the hard floor and scoop the baby up in your arms as you walk towards his pram- hopefully he’ll actually stay there this time. 

When you glance down at the owl-like eyes that are staring at you, you can’t help but wonder if he had the weird experience that you had. You’ve never had such an odd experience as this for as long as you can remember. One moment you’re trying to fall asleep for the night, the next you’re reliving the best and worst memories that you can think of. 

“Don’t give me that look.” You warn the little one as you gently put him back in his pram. 

“What did you mean before?” Mando asks you once you retake your seat next to him. 

“When?” You ask as you look in his direction.

“Earlier- you said that you knew someone of its kind.”

“Oh,  _ that,” _ You trail off as you lay back down next to your partner, “they were someone I trusted when I was younger. They helped train me, taught me that lightness and darkness aren’t two separate things, but rather, one cannot live without the other.” 

“Oh.”

“Not only was he one of the wisest teachers I’ve ever had, but he also was a dear friend.” Mando doesn’t say anything in response, only nodding as he reflects on your words.

Silence fills the air as the three of you rest up for the following day. The only sounds that could be heard are created by the local wildlife. You can hear soft snores coming from the other two but you, on the other hand, cannot keep your eyes closed for longer than five minutes. Whenever your eyes begin to droop, millions of thoughts scramble in your mind. 

The memories you re-experienced earlier keep replaying in your head over and over again. When the baby’s hand touched your skin, you felt a sensation that you haven’t felt in years. It’s a similar feeling you had when you were younger- when you first met your best friend all of those years ago. Like it was fate that both of your paths crossed.  _ Did the kid feel the same thing? Does he feel the same pull towards you as you feel?  _ With this in mind, you can’t help but feel guilty by the thought of giving the child to Imperial hands. Not only because he’s a vulnerable child, but also because you can’t help but think that somehow you were supposed to meet this mysterious child. Like your journey with him is far from over. 

The more you think about this possibility, the more you reflect on the limited time you’ve spent with the green little baby. Even before you met him, you felt like something was  _ off.  _ On Nevarro, you felt like something was wrong when you first received the bounty but you brushed it off as it 

was because it included former Imperials- not because it was something so much more. When you entered that room, you could feel the pull towards the baby without even realizing it. You just knew there’s  _ something  _ about this child that you could feel a connection to. You can’t exactly put your finger on it, but you’ve experienced a similar attraction towards someone before and it lead you towards the path that eventually lead you to Mando.

Maybe your path was supposed to be linked with this child, not Mando.  _ No.  _ You disregard the thought from your head. There’s no way that your paths are supposed to emerge. The only journey that you’re supposed to have with this child is limited- only for a few days at most, you tell yourself. 

You remind yourself that you can’t get attached to the baby. If you do, it’ll only make it that much harder to actually go through with the bounty. And even if you did want to, how would you mention this to your partner? How would you even begin to explain everything that you’ve been feeling ever since you entered that Imperial-occupied building on Nevarro? Would you have to tell him everything and just  _ hope  _ that he would believe you? 

Unlike your partner, the stars looming above you are awake and as bright as ever. As you glance over them, a feeling of peace overwhelms you. No more thoughts running through your brain at a pace faster than you can keep up with. No matter where you are in the galaxy, you’ve always felt at peace whenever you look at the midnight sky. It’s always been comforting to you to know that even though you’re just a tiny speck of the galaxy, you’ll always feel at home by looking at space. Whether it’s whenever you’re traveling to another planet with Mando or you’re making camp for the night, like tonight, glancing at the empty sky puts you at ease. Maybe it’s because nothing in the sky is in a rush like you are. With your lifestyle, you’re always on the move, but the stars always stay put. It may seem dumb when you put it that way, but you’ve always found solace whenever you glance at the night sky. 

The longer you see the stars twinkle, the calmer you feel. Even if it’s just for a moment, you don’t worry about anything- not what you’ve experienced over the past day or what the next day will bring.

Even when life is going at an alarmingly fast rate, you were always taught to take everything in and live in the moment- to reflect on everything. 

The pants that escaped from your chest earlier are now replaced with deep breaths as you continue to lazily look at the sky above you. Breathe in. Breathe out. 

Even with the stars calming your nerves, you can’t help but think of how things will be so different once you and Mando return back to Nevarro. During this short amount of time, you’ve never gone this attached to someone before only after a few days. By this time tomorrow, you’ll probably be flying off to another planet with Mando as you continue with the busy bounty hunting lifestyle that you’ve gotten used to by now. The little one will no longer be in your lives. Only another successful bounty that the Guild will remember you for. 

But as you skim over your partner’s unconscious form, you wonder if he’s feeling as uneasy as you are. Usually, the bounties you bring in are people who usually deserve it- people who skipped bail, were sympathizers of the Empire, but never helpless children. If you both crossed this line, would there ever be a limit? Would you just do what you were told just like you did during the war? 

You don’t know what your future will bring, but your journey with the Mandalorian and the little one is just beginning. 

**Author's Note:**

> hi i really loved writing this and things are just escalating lol enjoy


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